God: Creation to Kingdom

Jan 27

Understanding God as The Creator:

The first thing that the bible tells us about God is that He is a Creator- He created the heavens and the earth. He formed and fashioned a perfect world that could house and protect mankind, who He also created.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Creation is our tangible evidence that God is real. From the intricate details of the human body to the mighty power of the seas, it is evident that this world did not come about by accident. Someone of great wisdom and strength formed and fashioned everything that is seen and experienced. For thousands of years, certain cultures chose (and still do) to worship individual aspects of creation rather than the Creator. Idols were created to honor the sun god, fish god, god of war, and so on. The irony is that mankind had to create images with their own hands instead of seeking the God who formed them- this was Abraham’s story. His father carved images of so called gods but at a young age, he began to recognize something was not right-

I said in my heart, "What is the inequality of activity which my father is doing? Is it not he rather who is god for his gods, because they come into being from his sculpting, his planning, and his skill? They ought to honor my father because they are his work. What is this food of my father in his works? – Apocalypse of Abraham 3:2-4

At only 14 years old Abraham looked at the elements- fire, sun, water, earth- and understood that there had to be a Creator of all these. Even in the household of an idol maker, he had faith in the Creator and sought him. When we read about the faith of Abraham in the bible, this is the backstory. He was not raised in a God-fearing home; he didn’t have a bible or a clue about the creation story. He looked at the world around him and sought to One who made it; and he was answered.

But hear this, Terah my father; for I will make known to you the God who has made everything, not these we consider as gods. Who then is He? Or what is He? Who has crimsoned the heavens, and made the sun golden, and the moon lustrous, and with it the stars; and has made the earth dry in the midst of many waters, and set you in it, and tested the confusion of my thoughts? Yet may God reveal Himself to us through Himself! -Apocalypse of Abraham 7:74-76
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:20

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Hebrews 11:3

You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:6

The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. Jeremiah 10:12

Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created. Revelation 4:11

We will never be able to answer the question “where did God come from?” But we can be certain that Creation proves that there is a Creator. Along with the observable world around us, He gives us an abundant amount of information that reveals His character, His power, and even His physical attributes. Abraham didn’t have a bible, but we do. We have a complied written testimony of information from multiple sources, all confirming the same the revelation of God’s heart and His plan for Creation.

Day 1:

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:2-5

Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it? Job 38:3-5

He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved. Psalm 104:5

When God created the heavens, he formed the actual structures (plural) that cover the earth and house the angels which oversee the elements that we see and experience. The earth was created as a solid, immovable mass with pillars, foundations, and lower cavities called the abysses (plural). The ancient Hebrew view of the earth looked quite a bit different than what we are taught by the world today. But there are numerous verses that corroborate this structural engineering.

In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Psalm 102:25

Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. Psalm 139:7-9

(Jubilees is the only book that Moses claims to write by dictation of the angels on Mt. Sinai. - Gal. 3:19, Heb. 2:2, Acts 7:53. It is referred to as “little Genesis” but contains more details of Creation, time qualifiers, and originations of laws.)

For on the first day He created the heavens which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which serve before him -the angels of the presence, and the angels of sanctification, and the angels of the spirit of fire and the angels of the spirit of the winds, and the angels of the spirit of the clouds, and of darkness, and of snow and of hail and of hoar frost, and the angels of the voices and of the thunder and of the lightning, and the angels of the spirits of cold and of heat, and of winter and of spring and of autumn and of summer and of all the spirits of his creatures which are in the heavens and on the earth, He created the abysses and the darkness, eventide and night, and the light, dawn and day, which He hath prepared in the knowledge of his heart. And thereupon we saw His works, and praised Him, and lauded before Him on account of all His works; for seven great works did He create on the first day. Jubilees 2:2-3

He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent, laying the beams of His chambers in the waters above, making the clouds His chariot, walking on the wings of the wind. He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants. He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved. Psalm 104:2-5

Day 2:

And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. Genesis 1:6-8

And on the second day He created the firmament in the midst of the waters, and the waters were divided on that day -half of them went up above and half of them went down below the firmament that was in the midst over the face of the whole earth. And this was the only work God created on the second day. Jubilees 2:4

Firmament: ‘raqia’ in Hebrew means solid, beaten out, expanse.

The name given to the solid expanse is heaven.

Heaven: ‘Shamayim’ in Hebrew means ‘there in waters.’

On day 1, He created multiple solid “heavens.” On day 2, He made only the firmament that directly covers & protects the earth.

He builds His upper rooms in the heavens and founds His vault upon the earth. He summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth. The LORD is His name. Amos 9:6

But who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I, that I should build a house for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him? 2 Chronicles 2:6

The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs is a collection of the writings of the 12 sons of Jacob. When Levi was being called to take up the priesthood, the angel took him through a vision of the heavens then provided an explanation for each of the layers he saw. This account corroborates Jubilees 2 explaining day 1 of creation including multiple ‘spirits’ or angels that were over elements & duties of ministering. Within in first heaven, the only one we can see, is where sin is contained- it is “more gloomy.” (Note: You will also see ‘Beliar’ this is another name for Satan.)

Hear, then, concerning the seven heavens. The lowest is for this cause more gloomy, in that it is near all the iniquities of men. The second hath fire, snow, ice, ready for the day of the ordinance of the Lord, in the righteous judgment of God: in it are all the spirits of the retributions for vengeance on the wicked. In the third are the hosts of the armies which are ordained for the day of judgment, to work vengeance on the spirits of deceit and of Beliar. And the heavens up to the fourth above these are holy, for in the highest of all dwelleth the Great Glory, in the holy of holies, far above all holiness. In the heaven next to it are the angels of the presence of the Lord, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for all the ignorance of the righteous; and they offer to the Lord a reasonable sweet-smelling savor, and a bloodless offering. And in the heaven below this are the angels who bear the answers to the angels of the presence of the Lord. And in the heaven next to this are thrones, dominions, in which hymns are ever offered to God. Therefore, whenever the Lord looks upon us, all of us are shaken; yea, the heavens, and the earth, and the abysses, are shaken at the presence of His majesty; but the sons of men, regarding not these things, sin, and provoke the Most High. Testament of Levi 3:1-10

Day 3:

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. Genesis 1:9-13
I [wisdom] was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth, when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth. Proverbs 8:27-29
Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it. Jeremiah 5:22

Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb. Job 38:8

Notice how the Jubilees account explains the Garden of Eden being planted on this day. The garden itself is called Eden, which means ‘paradise.’ It was planted in the land of Eden. This would be like saying the ‘Community Church of Henry’, is in the city of Henry. The garden itself is its own entity that God placed in a particular location. This concept relates directly to the Kingdom of Heaven, Zion.

And on the third day He commanded the waters to pass from off the face of the whole earth into one place, and the dry land to appear. And the waters did so as He commanded them, and they retired from off the face of the earth into one place outside of this firmament, and the dry land appeared. And on that day He created for them all the seas according to their separate gathering-places, and all the rivers, and the gatherings of the waters in the mountains and on all the earth, and all the lakes, and all the dew of the earth, and the seed which is sown, and all sprouting things, and fruit-bearing trees, and trees of the wood, and the garden of Eden, in Eden and all plants after their kind. These four great works God created on the third day. Jubilees 2:5-8
For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song. Isaiah 51:3
Then they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and destroyed are now fortified and inhabited.’ Ezekiel 36:35
Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—surely nothing will escape them. Joel 2:3

Although there is no definitive proof, it is a common thought based on the information provided throughout the scriptures that Eden was removed from the earth before the great flood and it is being held in the third layer of the heavens. At the end of the age, the garden will return to the earth as the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom the Christ will reign from for 1,000 years. It is a very feasible thought considering the New Jerusalem is described as housing the Tree of Life and river that we see in Eden in Genesis 2.

And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. Revelation 22:14

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows. And I know that this man- whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows- was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were inexpressible, things that man is not permitted to tell. 1 Corinthians 12:2-4 (Eden means paradise.)

Do you think that this is that city of which I said: "On the palms of My hands have I graven you"? This building now built in your midst is not what is revealed with Me, that which prepared beforehand here from the time when I took counsel to make Paradise, and showed Adam before he sinned, but when he transgressed the commandment was removed from him, as also Paradise. And after these things I showed it to My servant Abraham by night among the portions of the offerings. And again also I showed it to Moses on Mount Sinai when I showed to the likeness of the tabernacle and all its vessels. And now, behold, it is preserved with Me, as Paradise. 2 Baruch 4:2-6

The city of New Jerusalem, also called Zion, is the literal Kingdom of God that returns to earth. Its origin is the Garden that was placed in Eden but when sin grew, paradise was removed. God’s plan for Salvation includes a Kingdom for His children to inherit- a restoration back to the original design for mankind, the earth, and the garden land that He dwelt in with man, but bigger and better!

Note: The Creation account in Genesis resembles Revelation, there is a broad overview in chapter 1, followed by a “zoom-in” to explain more details in chapter 2. We see this with the Garden of Eden and the creation of mankind.

Day 4:

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19

Trusting the biblical creation account provides an interesting contrast to the world’s narrative of the earth revolving around the sun. We as believers understand that God didn’t even create the sun until 3 days after the earth was formed.

Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name. Jeremiah 31:35
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place. Psalm 8:3
Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
And on the fourth day He created the sun and the moon and the stars, and set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon all the earth, and to rule over the day and the night, and divide the light from the darkness. And God appointed the sun to be a great sign on the earth for days and for sabbaths and for months and for feasts and for years and for sabbaths of years and for jubilees and for all seasons of the years. And it divided the light from the darkness and for prosperity, that all things may prosper which shoot and grow on the earth. These three kinds He made on the fourth day. Jubilees 2:8-11

Throughout the 66 book bible we see time stamps of “on the _ day of the _ month...” or “in the _ new moon of the _ year of king…”. The luminaries were created not only to give warmth and light, but to be time markers. The sun circulates the earth 364 times/days which gives an even 52 week year, broken down into 7 day weeks. It is a 24-hr clock that does not change, and the sun is the hour hand.

And all the days of the commandment will be fifty-two weeks of days, and these will make the entire year complete. Thus it is engraved and ordained on the heavenly tablets. And there is no neglecting this commandment for a single year or from year to year. And command the children of Israel that they observe the years according to this reckoning- three hundred and sixty-four days, and these will constitute a complete year, and they will not disturb its time from its days and from its feasts; for everything will fall out in them according to their testimony, and they will not leave out any day nor disturb any feasts. But if they do neglect and do not observe them according to His commandment, then they will disturb all their seasons and the years will be dislodged from this order, and they will disturb the seasons and the years will be dislodged and they will neglect their ordinances. And all the children of Israel will forget and will not find the path of the years, and will forget the new moons, and seasons, and sabbaths and they will go wrong as to all the order of the years. For I know and from henceforth will I declare it unto thee, and it is not of my own devising; for the book lies written before me, and on the heavenly tablets the division of days is ordained, lest they forget the feasts of the covenant and walk according to the feasts of the Gentiles after their error and after their ignorance. Jubilees 6:30-35

It is important to realize that the sun and moon are not only for light, but for time and here is why: Light and darkness were distinguished between on day 1. The garden of Eden was planted on day 3. When Eden returns as the New Jerusalem, there will be no need for the sun and moon to act as light sources- the Father and the Son will illuminate the city. But, we also see that the nations come up to keep the feasts and new moon festivals. So the luminaries are still necessary, even when the heavens and earth are renewed because they keep the course of the calendar.

There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:5
Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah 14:16
Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Feast of Tabernacles to the LORD begins, and it continues for seven days. Leviticus 23:34
For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. Isaiah 66:22-23

Day 5:

And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. Genesis 1:20-23
Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small. There the ships pass, and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there. All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season. Psalm 104:25-27
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? Job 12:7-9
And on the fifth day He created great sea monsters in the depths of the waters, for these were the first things of flesh that were created by his hands, the fish and everything that moves in the waters, and everything that flies, the birds and all their kind. And the sun rose above them to prosper them, and above everything that was on the earth, everything that shoots out of the earth, and all fruit-bearing trees, and all flesh. These three kinds He created on the fifth day. Jubilees 2:11-13

God made many classes of sea creatures and birds. They comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and purposes. Some of these animals were created to be used as food, and others were made to be natures clean-up crew. Science has now shown that certain animals that the bible deems “unclean’ are actually very unhealthy for human consumption because of the heavy amounts of toxins crustations absorb, and the amount of disease and parasites birds of prey carry.

Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales. But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales. Leviticus 11:9-10
Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales, but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you. Deuteronomy 14:9-10
Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, [falcon, raven, owl, osprey, bat]. Leviticus 11:13-19

You may eat any clean bird, but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, the falcon, any kind of kite, any kind of raven, the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, or the bat. Deuteronomy 14:11-18

These are not just random, restrictive laws, they are information about Creation! This information, God applies to himself when He gave instructions for the various types of sacrifice. You will not find a vulture or an owl allowed, but we do find turtle doves allowed for the poor- Mary brought offerings of two turtle doves and two pigeons to the temple for her purification offering after Jesus was born, (Luke 2:24). Abraham offer a turtle dove and a pigeon, along with clean beasts, and He made a covenant with him for his faith and obedience, (Genesis 15). The order of creation matters. Sea food and birds may seem like small, unnecessary commands considering the Kingdom, but Jesus said:

So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:18

Day 6:

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds, livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:24-25
And on the sixth day He created all the animals of the earth, and all cattle, and everything that moves on the earth. Jubilees 2:13

Just like the sea creatures and birds, God created land animals with different purposes. Some are for food, many of which are also used for holy offerings. Others are for keeping the environment clean and the lifecycle of other animals and plants intact. Again, these are not just restrictive dietary rules, they are information about creation that keep us safe and healthy.

Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. . . And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. Leviticus 11:2-8

You must not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals that you may eat: The ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. But of those that chew the cud or have a completely divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, the rock badger. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you, as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass. Deuteronomy 14:3-8

These were not just random laws for restrictive eating, they are information about creation- not all animals were created to be food. Even before we see the recorded dietary instructions of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, Noah knew the difference in clean and unclean animals.

Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate. Genesis 7:2

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar. Genesis 8:20

In modernity, the topic of clean and unclean animals can be controversial. Many doctrines in mainstream Christianity have concluded that Jesus did away with these laws because of passages like Mark 7 and Peter’s vision is Acts 10. Notice how both passages address religious rules, not how God created animals.

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed. Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially. And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining. Mark 7:1-4

The context of Mark 7 never suggests a conversation about meat, or animals for that matter, being what Jesus was addressing. The issue was a religious rule about handwashing that is NOT a part of God’s law. He rebukes them for forsaking commandments of God and replacing them with their own traditions- exactly what mainstream Christianity has done by saying you no longer have to follow God’s instructions for what is and is not meant to be eaten.

The pharisaic Jews were not worried about what His disciples were eating, (which was bread), they were concerned with the fact that Jesus’s disciples were not washing their hands according to their made-up laws. When Jesus said, “it’s not what goes into a man that defiles him… but what comes out of the heart” He is referring to the Jewish superstition of thinking you could consume an unclean spirit if you did not wash your hands in a ritualistic fashion- (again, this is not a part of God’s law). Rebelling against the commandments of God for traditions and man-made teaching, is what defiles a man. This is also what we see God correct within Peter’s heart:

He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven. While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate. They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there. As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” Acts 10:10-20

This a vision depicting all sorts of animals- both clean, and unclean as reptiles are mentioned. Peter struggled over this vision and the instruction that God gave him three times, he didn’t automatically interpret it as permission to eat bacon wrapped shrimp. Notice Peter says he has never eaten what is impure (common) or unclean, this was point to a religious rule of pharisaic Judaism that said even clean animals with a spot or blemish was impure for them to eat. God did not say that traditions of the elders said that. This translates to what happened next as 3 gentile men showed up at the door- the Jews (not God’s law, religious Judaism) had strict rules about associating with gentiles.

He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. Acts 10:28

God’s response to Peter in the vision didn’t even address the unclean comment, He said “do not call impure (common) what God has cleansed.” And Peter interpreted his own experience to mean “Now I know not to call any MAN common of unclean.” It was never about animals or food; it was always about people.

Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism, but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35

God did not create all animals for food, and He did not change the design of unclean animals to all the sudden be okay to eat post-cross; the word of God does not change. He did however create all men in His image and allow for any man with a humble heart to come into fellowship with Him.

Day 6- Mankind:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27

And after all this He created man, a man and a woman created He them, and gave him dominion over all that is upon the earth, and in the seas, and over everything that flies, and over beasts and over cattle, and over everything that moves on the earth, and over the whole earth, and over all this He gave him dominion. Jubilees 2:14

Think back to the Jubilees verse from Day 1, all of the angels that were created- them, along with the Father and the Son are who we are modeled after.

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8

Just as the angels were tasked with overseeing the elements with the heavens, mankind was tasked to rule over earthly creation. Adam was given dominion, rulership over the animals, the seas, and the lands. We know that as the story goes go, man’s dominion becomes diminishes as mankind falls deeper into sin. Rulership over Creation is wholly reliant upon connection to the Creator. This directly correlates to a promise of Salvation- when the Son returns to rule the Earth, redeemed mankind will rule and reign with Him. God’s intention from the beginning will be fulfilled.

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

Day 6 concludes with God creating man and woman, but then in the following chapter of both Genesis and Jubilees, we get the “zoomed-in” details about HOW God created man and when He created woman from the man.

Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath, all flesh would perish together, and mankind would return to the dust. Job 34:14-15
When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust. When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth. Psalm 104:29-30
The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh. And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. Genesis 2:20-22
And on these five days Adam saw all these, male and female, according to every kind that was on the earth, but he was alone and found no helpmeet for him. And the Lord said unto us: 'It is not good that the man should be alone: let us make a helpmeet for him.' And the Lord our God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him, and he slept, and He took for the woman one rib from amongst his ribs, and this rib was the origin of the woman from amongst his ribs, and He built up the flesh in its stead, and built the woman. And He awaked Adam out of his sleep and on awaking he rose on the sixth day, and He brought her to him, and he knew her, and said unto her: 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called my wife; because she was taken from her husband.' Jubilees 3:1-7

The Creation of both man and woman was intentional; it was not a cosmic accident but a divine purpose. The desire for man and woman to create a family is not a coincidence, our Father made mankind in His image, to be His children.

For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. Psalm 139:13-14
what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:4
What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him, that You attend to him every morning, and test him every moment? Job 7:17-18

After God laid the foundations of the earth, stretched out the heavens, and created all living creatures, then He created Adam and Eve. He created them in His image and placed them in His set-apart garden to abide with them. Abide means to stay, to remain, or to be with. The entire point and purpose for salvation of mankind is to restore this reality- God abiding with the men and women He created, forever.

My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever. Ezekiel 37:27-28
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

Day 7:

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished. Genesis 2:1-3

And there were altogether two and twenty kinds. And He finished all his work on the sixth day -all that is in the heavens and on the earth, and in the seas and in the abysses, and in the light and in the darkness, and in everything. And He gave us a great sign, the Sabbath day, that we should work six days, but keep Sabbath on the seventh day from all work. And all the angels of the presence, and all the angels of sanctification, these two great classes -He hath bidden us to keep the Sabbath with Him in heaven and on earth. Jubilees 2:15-18

The Sabbath day was built into Creation! When God placed the luminaries in the firmament on Day 4 to be for signs, seasons, days, months, and years- the length of a week was already decided upon- 7 day weeks, creating exactly 52 Sabbaths in a 364 day year. Like with the instructions regarding animals, the laws for the Sabbath are not arbitrary restrictions; they information about Creation- a day purposefully placed in the week because of the necessity for created mankind to rest.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work— neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Exodus 20:9-11

For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, a day of sacred assembly. You must not do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. Leviticus 23:3

The seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. Deuteronomy 5:14

The command for the sabbath is super simple: don’t do your income producing work, don’t make other people work, rest. It is meant to be a delight! It is a day that was set apart, for us- it serves us, we don’t serve it.

If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath, from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the LORD’s holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way or seeking your own pleasure or speaking idle words, then you will delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 58:13-14

The Hebrew word for work is ‘melakah’: business, industry, occupation, craftsmanship.

The Hebrew word for pleasure is “chephets’: often used in the context of desire pertaining to business.

The Hebrew word for delight is ‘oneg’: exquisite, luxurious joy.

We see during Jesus’ ministry how religious leaders had created many additional rules that were not a part of God’s law- defining how far a person can walk on the Sabbath, not allowing for a live plant to be plucked on the Sabbath, not healing on the Sabbath, etc.

One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain as they walked along. So the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus replied, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? During the high priesthood of Abiathar, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for the priests. And he gave some to his companions as well.” Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:23-27

Do you see how the Pharisees claimed He was doing something unlawful on the Sabbath? He wasn’t. There is no part of God’s instruction for the Sabbath that prohibits getting something to eat when you’re hungry. He cleverly combats this accusation by pointing to a passage about an instance that was actually unlawful, but used it to show prove how life trumps law- consecrated bread was given to starving men because that is love, and love is point of the entire law. But just like the Mark 7 issue, God’s actual commands and mercies were being replaced with religious traditions. God’s command for the Sabbath was intended to serve man, not burden him. I personal like how Jesus throws in a little- I’m the Master of the Sabbath, not you and your made-up rules, at the end.

Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.” And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” Mark 3:3-4

Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him. But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:16-19

Jesus did not break the sabbath according to God’s instructions for the day. He simply did not adhere to the religious leaders (Jews) additional rules for the Sabbath so they perceived that he was breaking the day by doing good works- ‘work’ in this passage is pertaining to ministry; doing good “works,” not occupation. It is the same concept as the priesthood still ministering in the temple on the Sabbath; a service to God and to others is not equivalent to breaking the Sabbath in order to get ahead financially.

I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. Ezekiel 20:12

Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God. Ezekiel 20:20

And He said unto us: 'Behold, I will separate unto Myself a people from among all the peoples, and these shall keep the Sabbath day, and I will sanctify them unto Myself as My people, and will bless them; as I have sanctified the Sabbath day and do sanctify unto Myself, even so will I bless them, and they shall be My people and I will be their God. And I have chosen the seed of Jacob from amongst all that I have seen, and have written him down as My first-born son, and have sanctified him unto Myself for ever and ever; and I will teach them the Sabbath day, that they may keep Sabbath thereon from all work.' And thus He created therein a sign in accordance with which they should keep Sabbath with us on the seventh day, to eat and to drink, and to bless Him who has created all things as He has blessed and sanctified unto Himself a peculiar people above all peoples, and that they should keep Sabbath together with us. Jubilees 2:19-21

The seed of Jacob isn’t referring to just a bloodline, but a people who have the faith of Jacob. Just like how we are all “seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise,” when we have faith like Abraham- that faith mentioned in the introduction! Faith that there is a Creator, and trust in His design for Creation, which includes the Sabbath day. Which by the way, even the angels keep- “they should keep the Sabbath with us on the seventh day” is being spoken by an angel on Mt. Sinai. This passage also uses the same language as Ezekiel 37. . .

I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever. Ezekiel 37:27-28

We repeatedly see connections between Creation and Restoration, and the Sabbath is not excluded. It is not only a day of rest necessary for our health and well-being, it is a day of prophetic significance. This next passage gets used out of context quite frequently but it is literally expressing the reason for keeping the Sabbath and festivals- Christ’s Kingdom!

Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ. Colossians 2:16-17

For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. Isaiah 66:22-23

I want to quickly point out that the Sabbath is never referred to as a day of worship. Everyday of the week is a day of worship. The Sabbath day is set-apart day of rest. It is to be kept on the 7th day in reverence and obedience to the God who ordained it for us at Creation.

There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Hebrews 4:9-10

Eternity:

Creation took 7 days altogether. We see echoes of the original design all throughout the scriptures and in our daily, modern lives. Science has proven how much toxins, heavy metals, and parasites are in pork and shellfish. People gravitate towards nature to be alone with God and ponder at the work of His hands. Society craves rest and family units experience the burn out of denying setting apart time to just be. His design is evident all around us, we have just been conditioned to think around it- find alternative solutions, temporary fixes, trendy health. Anything goes this day in age, except seeking the Creator of this earth and of your body.

The Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom of God isn’t as short and sweet as a momentary Sunday morning alter call. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is accepting the reality of the Kingdom of God that He rules over; the Kingdom of God that He spent His entire ministry preaching and proving through signs and miracles- miracles that restored people back to how they were created. Jesus did not come to abolish or change a single jot or tiddle of His Father’s commandments, He upheld them and provided correct teaching of them in the face of bad religious teachings. His sinless obedience is what made His resurrection possible- the resurrection that was necessary for Him to obtain His priesthood. The priesthood of Jesus Christ reverses what Adam failed to do- Jesus overcame sin through obedience whereas Adam introduced sin through disobedience. The only way for mankind to get back to the garden, to the Kingdom, is through the mediation of Christ’s priesthood. When He returns, that garden-Kingdom is coming with Him to be the home of the faithful forever.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God. Revelation 2:7

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So, it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam a life-giving spirit. The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man. 1 Corinthians 15:44-49

Shelby Azbell